Automatic bale tension control for baling machines



R. l. BOBST 2,582,672

AUTOMATIC BALE TENSION CONTROL FOR BALING MACHINES Jan. 15, 1952mmvroza. RAY/noun]. B0557 Filed June 23, 1948 Patented Jan. 15, 1952AUTOMATIC BAL TENsIoN ooNmRoL-Fmt wBALI NGMAGHI NES h ym'pn B t pestttwApplication June-23, 1948, Seria1 Non-34, 798

. lfl aim 1 'Ihe'invention is-directed to automatic means for adjustingthetensionchamber in a hay baling machine.- It is particularly directedto abaler which can be-drawn through-the field,-but itis equally welladapted for use with astationary balerused 'for baling a variety ofcompressible materials. r In baling hay ina field the moisture-contentof the hay variesin difier'entportions of the field, and thecompressibility of thehay is inversely proportionalto moistureconte'nt.- The existing hay 'balers to which this invention may beapplied, have two nuts at the-rear of the machine for adjusting thetension. However, considerable "experience'isrequired before an operatoris-able to adjust the'tension properly. and even an experienced operatormust be ever alert to changes in the condition-of material being baled,and he must leave his seat and adjust the tension whenever-there arechanges in the kind-of material, or its moisture content. Aninexperienced operator will often be required to replace a shear pinprovided' in the machine, when the machine has been overloaded becauseof an adjustment which is not exactly correct.

The present invention overcomes these difficulties-by automaticallyadjusting' thamachi-ne -so-that the tension in each-bundle issubstantially uniform. n

- An-object of the invention-is to provide a-balting machine whichautomatically. adjusts itself according tothe pressure .exertedby thebundle .in-thecompression chamber. j

. 1 Another. obj ect :of the invention is .to .provide ,automaticmeansfor maintaining: the tension. of v:the bales/at asubstantiallyconstant predeterminedfigure. 1 ..Another. object of the. invention. is.to provide automatic. tensioning means. which- .can-be set-to give apredetermined .range, of. adjustment.

Numerous other obj ectsand advantages. f the inve n.tion .willbe evidentas, the specificationproceeds .to.;describe; the apparatus.withreference .to .the;.drawings. in which:

Fig. 1 is a-sideelevationof 'theautomatichay baler of-..my.- invention;

Fig.2 is .view partly in sectionon the line .2.-..-2

.ofi Fig. Land showing details of a portion'of my improved baler. 4,.-Fig. 3. is a..plan view. of the'end portionof the baler. -::Referringto Fig. 1-, the baler issupportedl'for movementby apair of rubber. tiredwheels 1. HI. .JA .-.top,.-beam .l2 and .aJbottom .beam. 14. extend the{majorportion of the machine, .and they are. free andyfiexible at thereaend of .the machine. so

.;-that;th ey. can be adjusted toward or.- from each other atthiapointto chan e the sizetof .thecompress on Qhamb nand n t s y a justthe tenzsion tthe ba aet remec fi t t e ont of .t emachine sup- ..ports,.an. internal combustion engine 5.! 8,v a. fuel "tank- 20, and anyaircleaner 22. The frame-.16 .has been; shown broken at .itsiront end, butthe 1 portion not. shown has means .by whichthe b'aler -may attac to aceam .of .hors s, rac r,

. Oi-501111611 motorized vehicle. Lhe engine I8 has an exhaust manifold-24, an, intakemanifold-iB land, a carburetor Z8. A..pipe; 30 leadsfromthe ;air cl eaner .22,; tq. the carburetor,;28. .A,-.pulley ;3.2 is,mounted.on the crankshaft .of. the engine 3 hand. amid-16.17 pulley. ismounted on the frame 1:0 theengine flfhe balerhasv a large flywheel.

,whi ch is mounted onbutnot keyed to. the shaft, 8. A,be1t;;40 run sover the flywheel 36., land: the

.pulleysjfland .34., Qthat pulley 32 .drives the hy- ..:W.he.l.:.36..-.y means ofithebelt; 40. e As shown in @Fig. 2,: the flywheel. .hasashearpin .42..whioh i s ..als o fastened in a. plate .44. which. iskeyed. .to the shaftfiQ-to transmit-rotative force from fly- .wh 6. thaft;38. 1

'Shfiffif fifl -;drives shaft. through gears-not shown, and; sh ai:t;4(i,drives crank, .48 which. is ,fixed .to. shaft 146.. A. connecting rod.50 is pivoted .to ;.the,end;of. the, crank- 48-;at 52. The connectingrodtfifl is ;pivotally mounted at its other end to a ..C.Ombinedknifeand-ram 54. which slidably amounted-between.the topbeam l2 and the bot-.tom. beam .14.

5 -.The..baler. has a loading mechanism indicated .generally.by..numeral. .56 which forces hay-into the chamber between beams 12 andI4 when-the combined knife and ram- 54 is inretracted 'posi- .tmn; .Onthesforw'ard-stroke of knife and ram .54, the-.knife slices offa-portion of the hay-and the ram compacts the slice against thepreviously compactedslice. When a number of-slices have accumulated theoperator ties someof the slices into 'a-baleand the bale drops off therear-end of the'baler.

. Mechanism to provide adjustment of the top .beam l2 -and the bottombeam 44 toward each :other'is shown attheright hand-end of Fig. 1 andin: Fig. 3. Amember 58 extends beneath :the-..-bott0m beam l4 andextends beyond *the .beam I4 atboth sides. A vertical-rod 60 is fas-..tened. .to each end ofinember 58. A cylindrical member. 162 has-ateach end a flattened end por- -tioneIwitha hole therein. The rods 60extend 55,through'.-the;..t1oles.in the flattened end portions tiallyatmospheric.-. pressure.

of member 62 and are threaded at their upper ends to receive nuts 64. Aspring 66 surrounds each rod 60 and acts at one end against the nut 64and at the other end against the flattened end portion of member 62. Thecylindrical member 62 is supported by a trifurcated member 68 which hasfour rows of protuberances, I0, I2, I4, and I6. Member 68v could havetwo prongs instead of three if desired.= The mechanism may be adjustedso that the cylindrical member 62 rests upon the trifurcated member .68

between any two adjacent rows of said protu-' berances, I0, I2, I4, andI6. Thetrifurcated end of member 68 rests upon top beam I2 andis'pivoted at its other end to pull rod I8..of the fluid operateddiaphragm 80, which has'legs' 82 resting upon top beam I2. The diaphragm8,0"has not been shown in detail, because it is a well known device forconverting changes in' fluid pressure into mechanical movement. Thediaphragm' 80 is-simila'r tothe' diaphr'agms'in the brake system ofvehicles. The diaphragm is connected-by tube 84 to a valve, 86.

The valve 86 has two chambers 88 and 90, separated by a valve seat 92. Avalve stem 94 is slidably mounted in the-valve 86 and-supports a closuremember 96 having a-rubber washer 98 secured thereto. The tube-84 fromthe diaphragm 80 is connected to the chamber 88; An-

other-tube I'connects chamber 88'with the suction manifold 26 of theengine. Tube I02'connects chamber 90. with the pipe 30 leading from theair cleaner. 22 to'the-carburetor 28. V

A spring I04 surrounds the valve stem 94 and acts at one end' againstthe closure member 96 and at the other end'against the body'of the valve86.? The valve stem94-extends through a hole in arm I06 which ispivotally mounted on a base plate I08 at II0. The valve stem 94 isthreaded at its outer end and'has two nuts H2 and H4 which may beadjusted-and locked in adjusted position. 'Anut IIB'may be adjusted onvalve stem 94 to prevent chattering between the valvestem 94 and the armI06. The base plate I08 has ears I'I6 'and II8' rotatably-supporting theshaft I20 of aflyba'll-governor I22. The actuating member/I24 of thegovernor is slidably mountedon: shaft I20 and acts against the 'arm I06.'The -governor is tensioned by a spring I26; The shaftI20"has'fixe'd-ther'eto a pulley I28 which is driven by a belt I30,which in turn is driven by a pulleyv I32 fixed to shaft 38.

The operation of theiapparatus willnow be described. The nuts 64 areadjusted to provide the proper tension'of the bundle: between beams I2and I4 :whenoperating on the hay of average dryness. f l 1:

The nuts I I-2and II4 are adjusted so that rubber washer 98 ofclosuremember 96 is urged against the 'valveseat 92 atnormal operating speed.

When the hay-becomes less compressible for some reason, such asincreased moisture content, the load on'the'engine I8 is increased andthe iti lly constant figure.

which is connected to chamber 88 by tube 84. responds to this change andpull rod I8 moves down and allows member 68 to pivot counterclockwise onits fulcrum on beam I2. Member 62 supported by member 68 is also allowedto move downwardly and the tension of spring 66 is reduced and thetension in the compression chamber between beams I2 and I4 is thereforereduced. In this way=thei deflection of "beams I2 and I4 nuts H2 and H4from shaft 94 a sufficient distancefoflwa-sher 98 of closure member 96to be ..forced.against valve seat 92 regardless of the position of armI06 and flyball governor I22. With-this adjustment the diaphragm is atall times under the pressure of the suction manifold,

: because; it is connected to .--the suction manifold ,thrnoughtube fl,chamber 88,.and tube I00.

Withthis adjustmentjngeifect, an increase in pressure in the;compression chamber increases theglojad on; the;eng;ine I8, and thepressure in the suction --,manifold.;;26 of the engine increases. Sincethe diaphragm 80 is connected to .thesuc- 0 1 mani old 5 de be h pr r as creases in .thei diaphm mfill and pull. rod I8 moves downwardly; toreduce; the pressure in the compression chamber described'above. :Inthis manner the pressure inthe compression chamber may be automatically.maintained at a substan- Although the invention a has been-described in.detail, various modifications can be made without departing fromthespirit of the invention, and

vI'd esire to be limited onlyby the claims s v -Iclaimjas-myinvention; 5

1.v 1 Ab. ling machine.- compr sing a frame,- spaced substantiallyparallel, beam members having subpression chamber, adjustable tensionedmeans at r the flexible p rt on of th eam membe s r ntl re tra n the bmimemb r i 1 flex n 'ou werd y. :lWerm anaim rum d onpn o -s d beammembers and supporting said adjustable c 'tensioned means, fluid meansconnected to said lever means foi'rmoving :saidz-levere means zabout itsfulcrum, an internal combustion engine having an intakemanifold,--;a1c'onduit connecting said fluid means and said intakemanifold, valve i meansforadmittingair to sai'd'conduit; rotatablecentrifugal-means, and means connected to said engine and to saidcentrifugal meansiforrotating said centrifugal means; 'saidcentrifugalmeans machine and the engine I8 tend to slowdown.

The governor I22, which is driven by motor I8, tends to slow down andspring I26 overcomes the force from the centrifugal action of thegovernor and'movesmember I24 which in turn movesarm I06 about its pivot,IIO. Arm I06 raises closure.

. Diaphragm. 80,

bein'g operatively connected to said valve means to actuate said valvemeans. a.

g '21 'A-baling machine comprising a frame, atop membersecuredto'said'frame, a bottom inember secured to 'sa'iki'frame; said top andbottom members having resilient portions extending beyond saidframefiandbeing-spaced from each other to form a compression chamber therebetween, a

ram for. compressing material in said compression chambenan internalcombustion engine having an intake manifold. drive means connecting saidinternalfcombustion' engine and said ram, tensioned means urging saidtop and bottom members toward eachother; a' lever interposed be- "tweenone ofsaid members 'and said 'tensioned means,v azfiuidmotor connectedto saidlever for *actuatingzsaidalever, a. conduit connecting saidintake manifold and said fluid motor, a valve for opening and closingsaid conduit to a source of air, and means responsive to changes inspeed of said drive means for actuating said valve.

3. A baling machine comprising a frame, a top member secured to saidframe, a bottom member secured to said frame, said top and bottommembers having resilient portions extending beyond said frame, and beingspaced from each other to form a compression chamber there between, aram for compressing material in said compression chamber, an internalcombustion engine having an intake manifold, drive means connecting saidinternal combustion engine and said ram, tensioned means urging saidresilient portions of said top and bottom members toward each other, alever interposed between one of said members and said tensioned means, afluid motor connected to said lever for actuating said lever, a conduitconnecting said intake manifold and said fluid motor, an air filter,valve means connected to said air filter and said conduit'for admittingair from said air filter to said conduit and meansresponsive to thespeed of said drive 1 means for opening or closing said valve means. 4.A baling machine comprising adjustable members forming a compressionchamber therebetween, fluid operated means for controlling theresistance to outward movement of said adjustable members, means forcompressing material in said compression chamber, an internal combustionengine connected to-said compressing means for driving the same, saidinternal combustion engine having an intake manifold, and conduit meansconnecting said intake manifold and said fluid operated means wherebythe fluid operated means is responsive to changes in pressure in theintake manifold.

V RAYMOND I. BOBST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,261,232 Collins Nov. 4, 19412,355,646 Haase Aug. 15, 1944 2,296,720 Nolt Mar. 19, 1946 2,411,467Russell Nov. 19, 1946 2,478,012 Raney Aug. 2, 1949

